Many people started woodworking during the pandemic as a way to fill the time, keep their hands busy and learn an interesting skill — but most people fell out of the hobby once the world started returning to normal. However, if you managed to continue with small woodworking projects for the last few years, you probably have built your skill and interest sufficiently to become curious about larger projects, like furniture. Solid wood furniture can be beautiful and durable; many handmade wooden pieces become heirlooms that are passed from generation to generation with stories of their making. Yet, before you can craft wooden furniture that will stand the test of time, you need to equip your woodshop with the right tools. Here are some essential tools you will need to take the next steps on your woodworking journey.

Square

No experienced woodworker underestimates the power of a good, reliable square. Different types of squares have different uses, and you should give yourself the gift of many different sizes and types. However, more important than variety is the accuracy of your squares. You should test each and every one of your squares to make sure that they are square before you use them to make furniture.

Planer and Jointer

You could nail any two pieces of wood together to make furniture, but the end result will be ugly, uncomfortable and unlikely to stay together. Wood joints are stronger when the wood has been properly smoothed, which is achieved with tools like jointers. Jointers create a perfectly flat surface on wood, which can then be used reliably to make square cuts on larger saws. You can acquire jointers that are also planers, which serve to make wood thinner.

Table Saw

There are many different kinds of saws you can use to make furniture: skill saws, radial arm saws, miter saws. However, the one you need the most is a table saw. Table saw blades are secured in the center of a table, across which you will push wood to make cuts. Because the blade is stationary, the table saw is a safer option than other types of saws. The square fences of table saws make it easier to get perfect cuts, and the surface into which table saws are built gives you extra space for measuring and working on your furniture projects.

Router

A router is a remarkably versatile tool that creates grooves, slots, shaped edges and more. Unless you are exclusively working with live edge lumber, you will want to finish the edges of your furniture pieces, giving them softer corners that are more comfortable to touch. For most of your furniture projects, a palm router (also called a trim router) will be sufficient, but if you want to dabble in wood joinery and more advanced projects, a larger router might be necessary.

Sander

By now, you probably know that most of the time you spend in the woodshop is dedicated to sanding. If you do not already have one, you should invest in a quality orbital sander, which is a handheld sander. However, to manage larger pieces of wood, a drum sander might be a good investment. A drum sander is better at maintaining uniform thickness across a piece of wood, which will save you hours of effort when you join your project into one piece of furniture.

Scraper

The last thing you want is globs of glue on your finished furniture, so one of the first tools you should buy is a scraper. A scraper is a simple tool that helps pull unwanted residue off your wood. Scrapers can also be helpful in eliminating bumps or notches in wood that has a particularly open grain. Unlike planing tools, scrapers do not cause tearout, and they remove so little wood that you likely won’t need to sand again after using them.

Clamps

As a woodworker, you should already have a few clamps on hand to help with holding wood pieces for drilling or gluing. Whenever you can afford to, you should invest in a greater number and diversity of clamps. Hand screw clamps provide remarkable power and precision; bar clamps boast especially wide jaw capacity; spring clamps are speedy; and strap clamps can help you manage large pieces of wood.